Dear Sangha friends,

After a very wonderful Troma Nagmo Practice Intensive with Sangye Khandro, the snow has finally gone (it returned for the retreat) and it is spring! The land is turning a velvety green at Tashi Choling. The days will lengthen on the 7th this month as clocks go forward for Daylight Savings time. On this refreshing note, Rinpoche recently called and asked us to take the time for korwa at the statue, to bring our children there, and to pay homage in prostration at the temple when we come out to engage in our various tasks - not to hurry too much. He is doing well in Austin but will visit us again in the not too distant future. Yahoo! There are so many wonderful opportunities this spring to be involved in the dharma here, for practice and guru yoga ~ we will be blessed by visits from sublime teachers and will gather with our dharma family for amazing events. Very exciting stuff! It is so good to see folks working and coming together…and if you are interested in venturing south, the Nam Cho Wangs will be given by H.H. Penor Rinpoche in Texas, June 5 - 24 and they are FREE. Preregistration is mandatory as space in limited, so if you want to attend go to: http://www.bodhi.org/namcho or call 512-453-5005 soon. Wow. Be there or be here!

Tashi Choling welcomes you to this year's Dor Sem Lama Chod Pa ~ Vajrasattva Retreat! Venerable Yangtang Tulku Rinpoche and Venerable Lingtrul Rinpoche will join us! Please see here for more info and begin arranging your accommodations now.

Troma Nagmo tsog will be held on Dakini Day, Sun. the 7th, when we will practice the Intermediate Sadhana from 2 - 6 p.m. Please come early that day to help make tormas (10) at 11:30. Green Tara will go on from 10 - 12 as usual. And remember the Daylight Savings time change!

Please don't forget to bring an extra tsog item for someone in need when you come to Tashi Choling's pujas. Join us in support of our new community outreach program.

Marig Munsel - Clearing the Way of the Darkness of Ignorance, Tashi Chöling's Four-Year Training Program is going strong. Our discussions have truly been a bridge to deeper understanding. We will meet on April 20 & 21; session times are Sat. from 1:30 - 5:30 & Sun. from 9:30 - 1:30. Future dates: June 1 & 2. For general info @ classes call Bruce at (541) 488-0881.

Lama Bruce Newman will teach from Ancient Wisdom, Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche's book, in Ashland this month on Thurs. the 18th at SoundPeace on Main St. at 7:30. This will be followed by a series of classes. Please see the enclosed flyer.

On the full moon, Sat. the 27th, Lama Bruce will give a talk on Amitabha from 1 - 2 p.m., previous to the monthly puja, followed by our monthly Amitabha practice from 2 - 4.

Green Tara puja's April schedule is: 10 - 12 every Sun. except for the 21st when folks will meet from 2 - 4. Much appreciation goes to these dedicated practitioners who pray for so many people, here and elsewhere. And it all started for our own Ron Fidler. Amazing.

Guess what? It has to do with beautiful flowers, a serene setting, a meditative pastime, and planting the seeds of the future….it's time for gardening in the Mandala Gardens! Preparation of the beds will begin soon and a mowing schedule needs to be arranged; you can plant, water, weed and do korwa in-between. Call Renato Caselli at 541-552-0990 for advice, direction and organizational tips! Thanks to everyone who offers this lovely service.

Guess what? It has to do with beautiful flowers, a serene setting, a meditative pastime, and planting the seeds of the future….it's time for gardening in the Mandala Gardens! Preparation of the beds will begin soon and a mowing schedule needs to be arranged; you can plant, water, weed and do korwa in-between. Call Renato Caselli at 541-552-0990 for advice, direction and organizational tips! Thanks to everyone who offers this lovely service.

Dr. Dickey, our Tibetan physician, comes to Ashland this month - just a reminder…..

Phone Tree Update: You can now call and leave messages for Julie Rogers and Sangye Land at 530-475-3750. We have officially moved. Thanks.

Our quarterly Sangha meeting is on Sunday, April 14 from 1-3. We'll be meeting to share news and energy, and to ready ourselves for the Dor Sem Lama Chod Pa Retreat, as well as a wonderful event to be held in town next month, and our many, various efforts. There's much to do before the wheel turns! The fund raising lift off is approaching and many activities are in store. Please come and support our community! See ya then. Be there or be square.

Mirror of Wisdom Reminder
HOT OFF THE PRESS! Mirror of Wisdom Archives has two new videos of HH Dudjom Rinpoche's 1980 U.S. visit: Practice with His Holiness: The Short Tersar Ngondro from the Bodhisattva Vow ceremony [#VDR11 $15] and Heart Essence of the Dakini Great Bliss Fulfilling All Wishes, a Yeshe Tsogyal puja with brief commentary by His Holiness on a visit to NY [#VDR9 #25]. Orders must be received by April 15 for shipping & tax to be included. After that date add $2.50 to ship each video. To make orders in Oregon and the State of Jefferson contact: Lisbeth LaCoste @ 541-488-7911. For mail orders and orders in California contact Lindy Steele @ 415-925-1730. Thank you.

If you want to receive the monthly mailing of this newsletter, calendar and various flyers via email contact tashicholing@vol.com. Just write your email address in the body of the letter. Send annual mailing donations to Tashi Choling, PO Box 64, Ashland, OR 97520.

In Our Prayers….keep on praying for Emma Bell Mudra, Donna Woolsey, Nick O'Connor, Brian Carstens in "enforced retreat" (possible early release!), Sarah Rose at ODD and Chris's knee, and for the continuous, obstacle-free miraculous activity of Ven.Gyatrul Rinpoche.

The Buddha's Jewels... "…if you consider that if you convert all of your happiness into dharma and that dharma itself is the source of all happiness, happiness and dharma are totally conducive. They're complementary. By joining the two together, the result is a constant connect-ion with dharma in all your future lifetimes." Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche from Ancient Wisdom

Don't worry, be happy…looking forward to seeing everyone at the temple!

Julie Rogers, Communications Coordinator